Travelers' most distressing experience is overly talkative fellow passengers, according to survey findings.
A recent survey by AARP has shed light on the travel preferences and fears of American travelers. Here are some key findings from the report.
Planning Preferences
When it comes to trip planning, a majority of travelers (51%) prefer a blend of human and virtual assistance. Interestingly, 18% of travelers prefer to rely on a virtual travel assistant, while 23% opt for a human travel agent. On the other hand, 8% of travelers aren't interested in either and prefer to plan their trips themselves [1].
Travel Nightmares
The most common travel nightmare for American travelers is racing through the airport while dodging slow-moving crowds and obstacles, causing stress and delays. This scenario highlights widespread anxiety about navigating busy airports [4]. Other top travel nightmares include having a flight canceled or overbooked, dealing with massive delays, and missing a flight or layover.
Holiday Travel
For the holiday season, 68% of respondents plan to travel, with the majority of holiday getaways being around 7 days. Nearly 50% of holiday travelers plan to travel to international destinations. The average cost of holiday travel is $4,700, and 65% of holiday travelers aim to keep their trips under $5k [1][4].
Extreme Travel
When it comes to extreme tourism activities, such as cage diving with sharks, base jumping, storm chasing, caving, and volcano boarding, 85% of Americans are open to the idea. The survey found that 46% of Americans would base jump on vacation, 42% would go storm chasing, 41% would cage dive with sharks, 32% would go caving, and 27% would go volcano boarding [1].
Preparing for Travel
To prepare for future travel, many Americans plan to allow extra time for airport procedures, stay informed about evolving airline and TSA policies, and adopt strategies to avoid unexpected delays, such as checking fee policies and packing more carefully. The increased complexity and stricter security measures introduced at airports in 2025 have made travelers more cautious and encouraging planning ahead to avoid last-minute surprises [1][4].
Trip Protection
For those booking a trip, it's worth considering modern insurance providers like our website, which offer holistic, digestible trip protection. According to Elad Schaffer, Co-Founder & CEO of our website, many American travelers are only "somewhat knowledgeable" about what their travel insurance covers [1].
References
- AARP Travel Survey, July 2025
- @AARPTravel, Instagram Post, July 22, 2025
- Elad Schaffer, Co-Founder & CEO, Interview, July 2025
- AARP Travel Nightmares Report, July 2025
- To ensure a smooth vacation, many American travelers are considering trip protection, like that offered by modern insurance providers, especially as they may not be fully aware of what their travel insurance covers.
- In the wake of the increased complexity and stricter security measures at airports in 2025, travelers are adopting various strategies to avoid unexpected delays, such as checking fee policies and packing more carefully.
- Holiday travels remain popular, with 68% of respondents planning to travel during the holiday season and nearly half of them aiming to explore international destinations.
- The amalgamation of human (23%) and virtual (18%) travel assistance is the preferred method for trip planning among a majority of travelers, while 8% still prefer to plan their trips independently.
